Accenting device for music-players.



B. B. KENDIG.

ACCENTING DEVICE FOR MUSIC PLAYERS.

APPLICATION H'LED OCT. 29 1915.

1,237,65 1 Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I WITNESSES: W mmvron -M fl 4M2 .4TTOHNKY- w B. B. KENDIG.

ACCENTING DEVICE FOR MUSIC PLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29\1915'- 1,237,651 Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

fla ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENTON B. KENDIG, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

ACCENTING DEVICE FOR MUSIC-PLAYERS.

Application filed October 29, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENTON B. KnNmG, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 517 South Seventh avenue, in the city of Mount Vernon, county of WVestchester, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Accenting Device for Music-Players, of which the following is a specification.

In the present style of devices used to accent notes in automatic music players usually a small pneumatic controls a slide or hinged or poppet valve in the vacuum governor, which opens for the time, a direct passage for the wind from the striking pneumatics to the vacuum inducing apparatus. In practice the vacuum in the reservoir is kept at a greater tension than that which passes the governor, hence when the directpassage is opened the notes will play as loud as desired. As soon as the valve is closed the player is using controlled wind and plays only as loud as the tension on the governor allows.

The object of my invention is to simplify these parts to'produce marked effects.

In my improved "device, the wind comes from the striking pneumatics through the tension controlled vacuum expression governor and passes out to the usual vacuum inducing apparatus. In constructing the tension for the vacuum expression governor, I make use of a pneumatic, preferably smaller than .the expression governor and having its movable wall connected to the movable wall of the expression governor and can be either permanently connected by a passage with the vacuum inducing apparatus orit can be connected or cut off from the same by a valve.

It is plain thatas the operating vacuum becomes greater, the tension which this pneumatic supplies to the governor will become greater and so allow the governor to pass a greater vacuum. Thus practically the same effects can be produced with controlled wind as with direct wind. This pneumatic tension on the expression governor allows more peculiar effects than the spring tension for the following reason: that in practice, no matter how loudly or how softly the player is being operated, it is using, if desired, controlled wind and when the governor is openedthe player will use the full power of the vacuum inducing apparatus and will play louder than the governed play- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 21, 1917.

Serial No. 58,724.

ing. This pneumatic will hereafter be called the governor tension pneumatic.

I open a direct passage through the expression governor in the following manner: I make a pneumatic substantially the same size as the vacuum governor, and make the movable wall of this pneumatic common with or coupled with the movable wall of the vacuum governor so that their swinging ends move in unison. The operation of the pneumatic is controlled by a valve which may be operated by the player or automatically. As soon as the pneumatic is exhausted by the vacuum inducing apparatus, the vacuum will be substantially equal on both sides of the common movable wall of the governor and of the pneumatic. It is then that the governor tension pneumatic which as up to this time equalizing the vacuum from the striking pneumatics passing through the governor, forces the common movable wall to open adirectpassage from the striking pneumatics to the vacuum inducing apparatus. This allows the Vacuum of the reservoir, at the time, to operate the striking pneumatics, and to play louder or to accent the note or notes being played. This pneumatic will hereafter be called the accenting pneumatic.

I prefer to control the operation of my device in the following manner:

On the swinging end of one of the exhausters is attached an opening from the valve box of the accenting pneumatic. This opening is normally covered but when the iedal is given a quick push, the inertia ofa weight properly hung on the end of a. flat spring covering the opening, will cause the uncovering of the openings and thus operate the valve controlling the accenting pneumatic. The operation of this pedal valve is instantaneous as it immediately resumes its normal position and again covers the opening. Thus the same action necessaryto increase the vacuum operates the device to accent the desired notes without accompaniment notes being accented which is common where the pedals alone control the accenting. Two pedal valves may be used, one to accent the bass half of a divided action with its separate expression governor and the other to accent the treble half with its expression governor.

In using the device with the pedal valve, the operator in developing the theme, naturally kicks quickly on the pedals as the perforations tor the notes to be accented cross the tracker, and naturally slows up on the pedals as the perforations of the notes which he desires to play softly cross the tracker. The buttons in the key slip are used to obtain the same results. The device can also be operated by supplcn'lental perforations in the music sheet where this is allowable.

In the accom 'mnying drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus with the pedal valve and key slip button for operating the same connected therewith, and also showing the striking pneumatics and the vacuum inducing apparatus.

Fig. 2 shows a rear elevation.

. Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a pairof exhausters which may be operated by the pedals in the usual manner. The eX- hausters 1 connect through openings, 3, with the reservoir 2 which is kept open by the the spring 24. This combination forms the vacuum inducing apparatus.

"Thewind comes from the striking pneumatics -27 through the passage 9 to the opening 26 in the vacuum expression governor. The governor is formed by the walls 6 and 7 surrounded by the usual fabric, and this connects through the governor with the vacuum cut. ofl" tube 5 through which the wind passes to the reservoir 2 and to the exhausters 1. 23 is a flat strip of material suchlas leather, for the cut-off tube to strike. A pneumatic'25, connected to the reservoir 2 by a passage 33 has its movable Wall 34 forming a tension on the movable wall 7 of the governor 6 and 7 when the player is operated. i

When the player is operated and is using governed wind the playing will also be overned no matter what may be the volume of sound. As soon as a direct passage is opened, the playing will be directly under the control of the vacuum inducing apparatus. This pneumatic 25 will be designated as the governor tension pneumatic.

A pneumatic formed by the walls 7 and 8 and surrounded by the usual fabric, and substantially the same size as the vacuum governor, as the wall 7 in common with the governor 6 and 7. The pneumatic is controlled by a valve box 22, in which 12 is the valve, 15 the usual bleed and 14 the pouch. The passage 10 connects the pneumatic 6 and 7 with the valve box 22. The passage 16 connects 22 and 2.

When it is desired to accent a note the operator has different methods at his control. One is to give a quick push on the pedals. lVeight 4 is hung at one end of the spring 29, which spring is securely fastened at its otherend to one of the exhausters and covers the opening 31 at about its middle point. The inertia of the weight 4 when the pedal is quickly pushed is enough to cause the spring 29 to uncover the opening 31 at the end of the tube 30. Other methods of acccnting are either pressing button 1 which uncovers 18 at the end of tube 17. Any of these methods will cause in the usual way pouch 1st to rise and lift valve 12, which covers the opening 11 and allows the wind a direct passage through the opening 10 by the valve 12 and through 16 to the reservoir 2. Pneumatic 7 and F4 is then exhausted. There is already a vacuum in governor 6 and 7, which has pulled wall 7 over to cut-oft tube 5. As soon as pneumatic 7 and 5 1s exhausted there is a substantially equal vacuum on each side of wall 7, which is then free to move. Pneumatic 25 then pulls wall 7 over toward 8 which uncovers cut-off tube 5, and allows the full vacuum of the vacuum inducing apparatus to play the striking pneumatics through a direct passage. When all the outlets from valve-box 22 are closed, the pouch 14 will fall, taking with it valve 12 which will then cover 13. This allows the outside air to enter through 11 and passage 10 into pneumatic 7 and 8. Governor 6 and 7 immediately resumes its operation with the player using controlled wind. The drawing, Fig. 1, shows the device D in closed or soft playing position with player in o eration. The pneumatic 7 and 8 will e known as the accenting pneumatic. The accenting pneumatic can be made any size but I prefer the use of one substantially the same size as the vacuum expression governor.

Links 21 are placed outside D from 6 to 8 to hold these walls substantially immovable and to allow free play to the wall 7. The details herein'shown and described and their arrangement may be greatly varied by a skilled mechanic without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an automatic instrument, in combination with a vacuum inducing apparatus and a set of striking pneumatics, of an expression governor forming a passage between the vacuum inducing apparatus and the striking pneumatics, means for forming a tension on the swinging Wall of said expression governor comprising a pneumatic having a passage to the vacuum inducing apparatus, a pneumatic having its movable wall common with the movable wall of the expression governor, a valve for connecting or cutting ofl" the latter pneumatic from the vacuum inducing apparatus and an opening from the valve to the latter pneumatic to control its operation, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic musical instrument, in

combination with a vacuum inducing apparatus and a set of striking pneumatics, of an expression governor forming a passage between said vacuum inducing apparatus and striking pneumatics, means for forming a tension on the swinging wall of said expression governor, comprising a pneumatic having a passage to the vacuum inducing apparatus, a pneumatic having its movable wall common with the movable wall of the expression governor, a valve for connecting or cutting off the latter pneumatic from the vacuum inducing apparatus an opening from the valve to the latter pneumatic to control its operation and an eXhauster, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic musical instrument, in combination with a vacuum inducing apparatus and a set of striking pneumatics, of a tension cont-rolled vacuum governor, a pneumatic having its movable wall coupled with the movable wall of said vacuum governor, their swinging ends moving together, a valve for connecting or cutting oli the latter pneumatic from the vacuum inducing apparatus and a passage from the valve to the swinging end of one of the exhausters to control said valve, substantially as described.

BENTON B. KENDIG.

Vitness A. E. Mnunrr'r.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

